By Staff Reporter
WINDHOEK – The Namibia Training Authority (NTA) and Peace Corps Namibia have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) which will see the latter availing volunteers to offer entrepreneurial training.
The MoU ties in compatibly with the NTA’s strategic plan, crafted recently by its board of directors, to develop entrepreneurship among vocational education trainees to help them with their self-employment ambitions.
Since shortly after independence the Peace Corps has been helping Namibia meet its need for trained men and women, initially with classroom teachers, but subsequently also in the public health sector.
The provision of support to small enterprise development and youth entrepreneurship promotion is among the latest offerings from the Peace Corps, something that NTA hopes to lay its hands on through the signed MoU.
“Since 1990, over 1 500 Americans – young, old, from all backgrounds – have dedicated two years of their lives to the betterment of Namibia,” Daniel Rooney the Peace Corps Director for Programming and Training said at the signing ceremony.
“And of all 1 500 volunteers, no one has done so alone. It has always been in collaboration with our Namibian colleagues. The document signed today represents the expansion of our relationship, and another chapter in our collaboration,” Rooney elaborated
The terms of the collaboration between the two institutions are to be enacted soon.
“Indeed, our next round of volunteers are currently en route to Namibia, with 32 teachers and 17 small enterprise development volunteers arriving this coming Wednesday,” he said.
After nine weeks of training, volunteers will be posted to sites throughout the country – including six volunteers hosted by NTA at Valombola, Nakayale, Eenhana, Rundu, Zambezi, and Okakarara VTCs.
“We look forward to years of close collaboration as we develop sites, work hard in the training of young Namibians and ultimately prepare the next generation of entrepreneurs,” Rooney said.
Acting NTA CEO Anna Nghipondoka said her institution is determined to help vocational education trainees to employ themselves.
The MoU with the Peace Corps will be the ideal platform towards achieving that goal, Nghipondoka said.
“The assignment of Peace Corps volunteers does not fall far from the objectives of the entrepreneurship development concept that the NTA has crafted,” she said.